


Tendrils and Talking

by TheSerpentGamer



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety, Comfort, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 13:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21299861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSerpentGamer/pseuds/TheSerpentGamer
Summary: Prinxiety, can be romantic or platonicSummary: Virgil can see Roman’s anxiety and shows him his perception abilities as Thomas’ anxiety to help Roman through a vulnerable time. (non tfic)I love feedback! Critique is greatly appreciated!
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Prinxiety
Kudos: 101





	Tendrils and Talking

Roman grit his teeth and and sighed.

“You’re not good enough.”

“Why can’t you do what you’re supposed to?”

“Why are such a failure?” 

“You’re not strong enough.”

Roman could feel tears start to well up but willed them away. That would be weak.

He felt so… bad. So nervous about his own worth. He had sat on the couch to watch some Disney but caught up in his own swirling thoughts.

Roman jumped at the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Virgil walking in. He quickly put on his confident mask without hesitation.

“Good morning, dear Stormcloud!” He proudly declared.

Virgil stared at him for a while, squinting and watching him with an odd amount of focus.

“…Virgil?”

Virgil stared a while longer before saying “That’s not good. What’s up, Princey?”

Roman was a bit caught off guard but quickly melted back into his royal persona. ”What ever do you mean? I feel positively perfect!”

Virgil just sighed and plopped himself on the couch next to him. “Cut the crap, Princey. You’re anxious as Hell. Why?”

Roman blinked and hesitated. He couldn’t tell Virgil about this! He couldn’t just fall apart on him and make his problems Virgil’s as well! “There’s… nothing wrong.” 

“It’s not weak to show your insecurities. I do it all the time with Patton. Everyone needs someone to lean on.“

Okay, now Roman was really confused.

“How did- Are you reading my mind?”

Virgil snickered. “Look. What am I in Thomas’ mind?”

“Anxiety?”

“And what are you feeling right now?”

Roman paused and slowly spoke, hesitating heavily. “…Anxiety?”

“Exactly. Now talk to me. Talking helps those little bastards go away.”

“Little bastards?”

“Your anxieties. Listen, everyone has some on them, but I walked in and could see you smothered with ‘em.”

Roman stopped. “Wait. Can you… can you see my anxiety?”

“Ding ding ding. Points to Princey.” Virgil smirked.

“Whoa- what? What do they look like?!” Roman asked, his nervousness shifting into awe.”

Virgil paused and looked like he was mulling something over. He sighed. “Here, I’ll show you. Let’s start with one so I don’t overwhelm you.”

Virgil reached out and took Roman’s hand gently. He stared at the hand with unwavering focus.

Suddenly Roman saw a long dark magenta tendril wrapped around arm. He could hear uncomprehending babbles and whispers coming from it as it shifted and pulsed.

Roman startled and jumped, looking at it with wide eyes. “Is… that-”

“One of your anxieties. I recognize this kind. All of us have some form of this guy.”

Roman watched as the tendril slithered off his arm and onto Virgil’s who held it calmly with a look of familiarity. 

“Hear that?” Virgil looked at Roman as he asked.

“That- uh… whispering?”

“It’s pretty hard to understand at first, but if I listen closely, I can hear what it’s trying to say. I didn’t catch much when I came in but I caught the word ‘failure’. Am I on the right track?”

Roman was stunned and felt a little embarrassed about Virgil being able to see all his insecurities. “I- maybe?” He watched as Virgil sighed and willed the tendril out of sight.

“Princey, I can literally see your anxiety and I deal with these little shits everyday. Try being honest with me before you get deceit out here.”

“OKAY! Yes! I feel like a failure.” Roman exclaimed. He leaned on his arms and sighed.

“You shouldn’t have told him, you weakling. You’re putting it all on him!”

Virgil stared at him. “New one, huh? Lemme guess, it’s saying you shouldn’t tell me?”

“Okay! How many are on me?!” Roman yelled.

“More than usual. And just like you learned with me… it’s actually healthy to have a few small ones.” Virgil leaned forward to match Roman’s posture. “But honestly you look like a mummy with all these anxieties on you.”

“How do I get rid of them?! Can’t you just take them off?!” 

“Doesn’t work like that, Princey. They’re not really corporeal, just representations of thoughts. The way to get rid of them is to deal with your anxiety. Remember what Lo said about repression? Yeah, that’s basically handing these bastards a growth hormone. So chill out and talk to me.”

Virgil gave Roman a look not too different than Patton’s dad look. 

“Don’t fall apart on him, you weakling. This is your responsibility!”

Roman bit his lip and shut his mouth.

There was a small silence before Virgil sighed annoyingly and grabbed something off Roman’s neck. Roman turned to see Virgil’s empty hand fill up with the image of a large wriggling red tendril.

“This.” Virgil started. “Is what’s telling you not to. Let me show you what I think of it.” Virgil threw the tendril over his shoulder with a determined expression.

“I thought you couldn’t do that!”

“It was just me throwing its visual form. It’s back now, as you can probably feel. I just thought yeeting it into oblivion might get a smile on your face.”

Roman did smile. Virgil’s slightly memeish language was pretty funny.

“See?” Virgil smiled back. “Now just tell me about your anxieties. Tell me their life story.”

Roman paused, feeling the need to keep it in but consciously ignoring it. “But what about you? Can you handle that?”

Virgil chuckled. “Your concern is appreciated, Ro. But- uh.” Virgil snapped his fingers and Roman almost screamed. he saw hundreds… hundreds of small tendrils all over Virgil’s body. Virgil snapped again and they were gone. 

“W- y-y- wha- how-?!”

“Ya get used to it.” Virgil shrugged and smiles. “I’m anxiety remember? I’m basically all these guys’ moms in a way.” He laughed, then looked at Roman with an unusual amount of sympathy. “And y’know what I do when they get too much?

Roman stayed silent.

“I go to Patton or Logan and I talk. It depends on which one is acting up. If it’s anxiety about something going wrong and tasks not being done, i talk to Logan. if I feel worthless, I talk to Patton. And now you feel like you’re not good enough, so talk to me. Hell, if i’m not the right one, id recommend talking to Patton. but bottling this shit up wont end well. it’ll make these dudes very happy, and you don’t want that.”

Roman took a breath. “I guess… I feel… like my ideas aren’t good enough.” Roman sighs and waits for a jabbing remark but there is none. Virgil just nods, signalling for him to continue.

“And… part of me thinks… that Thomas doesn’t like me because i’m failing him… i know that sounds stupid…” Roman winced at his own words and waited, Virgil didn’t say anything and nodded at him.

And so… Roman told him everything. He told him all about why he was anxious and nervous. He told him why he felt so worthless and why he felt like he was failing everyone around him.

At one point… he started crying. He cried from how bad he felt and how bad it felt to second guess himself. While he cried he felt an arm wrap around him and pull him close. He started sobbing into Virgil shoulder as Virgil rocked him slowly and rubbed his back.

He cried for a long time… and Virgil was there the entire time.

Eventually Roman sat back up and looked at Virgil who had nothing but empathy for him.

“You wanna know something, Ro?

“W-what?” Roman’s voice cracked and wavered a bit.

Virgil reached onto his shoulder and pulled off the same deep magenta tendril as before and showed it to him. “What do you notice about it?”

Roman stared at him and then realization swept over him.

“It’s… it’s smaller.”

It was true. The tendril was at least two inches shorter than before.

Virgil smiled. “Exactly.” He put a hand on his leg and patted it, smiling at him sympathetically. “It’s not gone. It will come back later, but it’s smaller now. It’s weakened, and it’s less loud.”

“I… I do feel better.” Roman smiled back.

“Good.” Virgil sighed and leaned back. “So, Ro. If these bastards get too loud or too much… you know where to find me. Hell, Logan and Patton are there too. We’re all here for you. And don’t listen to them. They’re really annoying. Also wrong.”

“Th-thank you, Virgil.”

“No prob, Princey.”

They sat back in comfortable silence for a moment. 

“What do you say to a Disney marathon?” Virgil asked. 

Roman chuckled to himself. “That’d be nice.”

“We’ll need blankets and pillows. Think you can cover that while I get popcorn?”

Roman nodded. “I think I can handle that.”

“Cool.” Virgil stood and patted Roman’s back. “You’re strong, Ro. Don’t let them make you think otherwise.”

With that, Virgil left to the kitchen to grab more popcorn.

And in that moment… Roman had never been more grateful for Virgil’s company.


End file.
